Shut-off mechanism for engines.



No. 660,5l9. Patented Oct. 23; I900. T. n. MILLEA. SHUFDFF MECHANISM FOR ENGINES.

(Applicption' filed Dec. 12, 1896.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS D. MILLEA, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUT OFF MECHANISM FOR ENGINES.

smcmcmmn forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,519, dated October 23, 1960.

Application filed December 12, 1896. Serial No. 615.457. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS D. MILLEA, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Springfield, in the county of Ham pden and State of Massach usetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shut-Off Mechanism for Engines and other Motors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and characters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is an isometric perspective of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a detached view, with a part in section, of the releasing mechanism. Fig. 3 isa side view of the rack, and Figs. 4.- and 5 are side views of the clutchpulleysfand g.

In detail, ct indicates a supporting-frame; b, a vertically-movable rack mounted in the frame; 0, a gear arranged with its teeth to mesh with the rack-teeth; (Z, a shaft; e, f, and g, clutch-pulleys; h, gear; 1', a rock-shaft; j, let-off lever; 7t, segmental gear; Z, segmentalgear arm; m, armature; n, electromagnet; 6 p, latches; r, wrist-plate; s, eccentric-rod; 25, adjustable block mounted thereon; at, aspring attached to the segmental gear arm; 22, a clutch-pin; w, clutch-pin spring, and y support for the same.

For the purposes of this application the device is illustrated as applied to an engine of the Corliss type, and the wrist-plate r and eccentric-rod s, as illustrated, are of the common well-known form of construction.

The construction and operation of my device are as follows:

A suitable frame a is provided, in which I mount in suitable ways a sliding rack b, the same being preferably arranged to slide vertically. This rack is preferably constructed in any convenient operative manner with a movable part whose position is governed by the position of the governor, so that a movement of the rack will operate, for instance, to raise the governor-balls, and thus operate to shut off the supply of motive force to the motor, and thus stop further movement thereof, or, if desired, the rack may be operatively connected with a valve and arranged to close the same, thus shutting off the supply of motive force and accomplishing the same result.

Motion is imparted to the rack at the de sired time by the gear 0, mounted on the shaft d. The clutch-shells e andfare also mounted upon and fixed to the shaft (1. The gear h and shell 9 are mounted upon the shaft d, but are not fixed thereto. The segmental gear It is mounted upon a suitable support with its teeth meshing with the teeth of the gear h. The depending arm Zis adjustably fixed to the segmental gear and its opposite end is arranged in the path of a projection or block 25, mounted on the eccentricrods s, so that as the eccentric-rod moves it carries with it the rocker-arm Z, and by preference a spring 'Lt operates to return the rocker-arm with the abutment t. Electromagnets, as n, are located in a convenient position, and an armature m is pivotally mounted within the magnetic field of the magnets, and a depending arm or leverj is arranged with its free end to engage the armature 'm and is fixed at its opposite end to the rock-shaft 't'. Mounted on the rock-shaft e' to project in the path of a rod 0 is adog or latch 9. The rod 12 enters an opening in the clutch-shell f and bears upon the clutch-block 1, which block is provided with a part projecting laterally beyond the face of the clutch-pulleyfand normally rests within the annular chamber 2 in the clutch-pulley g, but which when free is moved outwardly by the action of the spring 3, carrying the laterally-projecting part into the radial slot 4:, thus locking these two clutchpulleys together, and hence locking the shaft 61 and gear it, so that subsequent movement of the gear h will cause rotation of the shaft (1, and with it the gear 0. The clutch-block is maintained in its normal position, with its lifting-spring under compression, by the rod 1), which bears upon the clutch-block. The rod 12 is mounted in suitable bearings and is free to move longitudinally therein and is provided with a lifting-spring to, hearing against a collar or shoulder, and rests at its opposite end upon a support or part y. This spring is also held under tension when the rod '1; is in its normal position, with its end in engagement with the clutch-block, in which position it is held by the latch p, mounted on the rock-shaft t, which shaft, as before stated, is held in its normal position by the armature m. When, however, the magnets are energized, the armature is moved out of the path of the lever j, leaving it free to turn and the spring to free to force the rod 1) upwardly, moving the latch 19 out of its path and carrying the rod '0 out of contact With the clutchblock,th us releasing the tension on the clutchblock spring and allowing it to operate to force the block outwardly and bringing the projecting part into the radial opening and locking the partsf and 9 together, and as the part 9 is, as before stated, mounted upon the shaft (1 and this shaft is rotated by the action of the eccentric-rods 3 through the medium of the segmental gear and its arm, the partf is caused also to revolve, thus revolving the shaft 01 and gear 0, and thus raising the rack 19 and operating upon the governor or throttlevalve, as before state'd.

In order to enable me to reset the device automatically, I provide a latch 6 and mount the same on the rock-shaft 1 projecting, however, from the shaft in adirection away from the latch 19.

Mounted upon the rack-body Z) and projecting upwardly is a rod 7, which moves upwardly with the rack and engages the latch 6, thus rotating the rock-shaft i, carrying the latch 10 in a direction to cause it to bear down upon the rod 1; and force it into contact with the clutch-block, this operation being timed to take place when the clutch part f has made one revolution, and as the electromagnets will then be out of electrical circuit the armatu re will have been carried away from the magnets by the action of the armature-spring, and as the armj will at that time have been returned to its first position the latch 19 and pin '0 will be held in position, thus releasing the clutch part-s fand g and leaving thereleasing device in position to again be put in operation.

On the back of the frame is a spring-provided pin adapted to enter an opening provided in the rack to receivev it, the adjustment being such that the pin enters said opening when the shaft 01 has made one complete revolution, so that the rack will be locked and held in its elevated position and the clutch-pieces f and g unlocked at the same time, and if the motor continues to move after the shutting off of the motive force the rocker-arm and parts attached will simply be idlymoved without in any manner tending to change the position of the shutoff mechanism.

In order to return the rack to its normal position, I prefer to provide a friction-block 8, mounted on the frame and provided with a hand-wheel 9, arranged to force the block against the rack-body, so as to permit the parts to move slowly back to their normal position, it being of course first necessary to draw the lock-pin out, and thus release the rack.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a shut-off mechanism of the kind de-' scribed; the combination of a suitable frame, a shaft suitably mounted therein; a clutch mechanism mounted upon the shaft, a part only of the clutch being fixed thereto; means to lock the parts of the clutch mechanism together; a segmental gear mounted on the frame and arranged to rotate a part of said clutch mechanism back and forth in unison with the motion of the motor, said segmental gear being operatively connected with a moving part of the motor; means to hold the clutch-locking mechanism outof engagement normally, and means to release the locking mechanism and allow it to lock the clutch mechanism, and means to operate said releasing mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

2. In a device of the character described; the combination of a suitable frame; a shaft suitably mounted therein; a clutch mechanism mounted upon the shaft, a part only of.

such clutch mechanism being fixed thereto; means to lock the parts of the clutch mechanism together; a segmental gear mounted on the frame and arranged to rotate a part of said clutch mechanism, said segmental gear being operatively connected with a moving part of the motor; and moving therewith while the motor is in motion; means to hold the clutch-locking mechanism out of engagement normally; means to release the locking mechanism and allow it to lock the clutch mechanism, means to operate said releasing mechanism, and means to automatically return the locking mechanism to its normal position, substantially as shown.

3. In a device of the character described; the combination ofa suitable frame, a shaft suitably mounted therein; a clutch mechanism mounted upon the shaft, a part only of such clutch mechanism being fixed thereto; means to lock the parts of the clutch mechanism together; a segmental gear mounted on the frame and arranged to rotate said clutch mechanism, said segmental gear being operatively connected with a moving part of the motor; and constantly moving therewith while the motor is in motion; means to hold the locking clutch mechanism out of engagement normally; means to release the locking mechanism and allow it to lock the clutch mechanism; means to operate said releasing mechanism; a source of electrical energy; suitable conductors; an armature arranged to hold the locking mechanism in its normal position and means to put the magnets in the circuit thereby moving the armature and releasing said mechanism, substantially as shown.

4. The combination in a device of the character described; of a suitable supportingframe; a movable rack mounted therein; a shaft as d, a gear as c mounted on said shaft; a clutch mechanism mounted on said shaft,

a part of which is fixed to said shaft and the other part loose thereon; a gear as h secured to the loosely-mounted portion of the clutch; means to lock the two parts of the clutch together; means to operate said locking mechanism at a predetermined time; an operative connection between the rack and the motorvalves by which the supply of motive force is shut off by the moving of the rack and an operative connection between the motor and the clutch whereby the same is operated by the motor, substantially as and for the purposes stated;

5. The combination in a shut-off mechanism; of a suitable supporting-frame; a shaft as 61 mounted therein; a gear as c mounted on the shaft and fixed thereto; a rackb arranged with its teeth to mesh with the teeth of the gear 0; a clutch f fixed to said shaft; a clutch g and a gear h secured together, the two being loosely mounted on said shaft; means to lock the two parts of the clutch together; a pin as 7; arranged to release the locking in echanism; means to move said pin when free; a rock-shaft as 1; having a latch 19 mounted thereon and arranged to engage the pin Q); means to hold the rock-shaft in fixed position; means to release it and allow it to rotate and set free the pin 0) thereby releasing the clutchlocking mechanism; operative connection between the gear h and the motor, and operative connection between the rack and the valves whereby the rotating of the rock-shaft will, when the releasing mechanism is operated, set free the locking mechanism, and the motion imparted by the motor will operate the rack and thereby shut off the supply of motive force to the motor, substantially as and for the purposes shown.

6. The combination in a shut-0E mechanism for motors; of a suitable frame; a shaft d mounted therein and having agear e mounted on said shaft; a rack b movably mounted in said frame with its teethin engagement with the teeth on the gear 0, a two-part clutch mechanism mounted on said shaft, one part being secured to the shaft and the other loosely mounted thereon; a gear h secured to the loosely-mounted part of the clutch mechanism; means to restrain the locking mechanism; a rock-shaft 'b having a latch 19 arranged to operate the restraining mechanism engag- 5o ing the clutch-locking mechanism and having a latch 6 also mounted thereon, means to hold the rock-shaft in fixed position; means to re lease the same; a rod 7 connected to the rack and arranged to engage the latch 6; operative 5 5 connection between the motor and the gear h and operative connect-ion between the rack and the motorvalves, substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination in a shut-off mechan- 66 ism of a rack, and means to move the same by the action of a motor, said rack being provided with a recess, a pin arranged to engage said recess when the rack is moved to bring the openinginto registry with the pin, a spring arranged to force said pin into the recess whereby the rack is held in position, and operative mechanism between the rack and shutoff valve substantially as shown.

8. In a shut-off mechanism, amovable rack, 70 operative mechanism between a motor and rack, a block arranged to bear against the rack, a set-screw arranged to bear against the block whereby friction may be produced between the block and rack, a clutch mechanism to move the rack and a lever in engagement with the motor and mechanism to operate the clutch, substantially as shown.

9. In a shut-01f mechanism, a clutch mechanism consisting of a partf having a trans- 8o verse opening, a clutch-block arranged therein and projecting beyond one face thereof, a spring arranged to move said clutch-bar, a part g provided with an annular recess 1' and a radial channel 7?, means to operate said clutch-block and a lever and latch arranged to hold the clutch-block in normal position, means to release the lever, and operative mechanism between the clutch and shut-off mechanism, substantially as shown.

THOMAS D. MILLEA.

Witnesses:

ALLEN WEBSTER, GEORGE M. FIsKE. 

